STAR of the Month: Koffee makes her mom proud

K nown to the world as the newest reggae sensation, Koffee is called Mikayla Simpson at home by her constant companion – ‘Mommy’.

Jo-Anne Williams was pushed to tears when she found out her only child would not be attending sixth form at Ardenne High School.

“I was really disappointed... to tears. But it turned around when I realised she was following her passion,” she told THE STAR.

In 2017, after Koffee released her first official single, Bu rning, Williams, in an interview with The Gleaner, said that it was at her daughter’s sincere urging that dried her tears.

“She said: ‘You have to stand with me 100 per cent on this’, and I let everything go,” the mother shared.

Then while attending a concert featuring ‘Mikayla’ at Ardenne High that same year, Williams was convinced that her daughter found her calling.

“Cold bump full up my body,” she recalled of the performance.

As with mother’s intuition, Williams noticed Koffee’s talent years prior.

“She always loved to sing from as far back as I can remember. I noticed when she was about 11 or 12 when she got hold of a guitar. That’s when I realised that she really had a passion for music,” she said.

The passion is possibly familial, as Williams admits that she, too, has some skills.

“I mean, I can find a note or two, but I wouldn’t call myself a singer though,” she said.

Nowadays, you can find this mom rocking and swaying either backstage or in the audience - grinning happily while looking at her offspring.

In light of Koffee’s meteoric rise to international acclaim, Williams is unsurprisingly proud.

“I can’t find words to express! Elated, awestruck, but truly thankful – to name a few. As best as I can, I continually strive to be the best mom and be there whenever she needs me in every possible way I can,” Williams said.

And as her daughter’s catalogue grows, Williams finds it difficult to pick a favourite Koffee song. When asked which one she loves, she said: “All of them! They each have a different message. If there would be a special one though, it would be Burning because that was her first release.”

As for Koffee, she is happy to have her mom around.

“It’s the best thing ever. She’s super supportive,” the entertainer said.